2025-00337NoticeWallet

California City Plans to Disguise Flood Walls as Nature Parks

Published Date: 1/10/2025

Notice

Summary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the City of Imperial Beach are teaming up to turn a 1.2-mile stretch of the Bayshore Bikeway into a natural flood protection zone. This new coastal corridor will help protect the community from flooding, create safe public access, and boost local wildlife habitats. They’re asking for public input by February 24, 2025, as they prepare an environmental review to make sure the project is good for people and nature.

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Flood protection for Bayside neighborhood

You (residents of the Bayside neighborhood in Imperial Beach, CA) would get improved flood protection from a proposed 1.2-mile nature-based coastal resilience corridor on an approximately 14-acre site. The project includes living earthen levees, stormwater upgrades (a pump station and reconfigured drains), and a multi-purpose detention basin on the Bayside Elementary School field to reduce coastal and stormwater flooding as sea level rises.

New safe public access and trail features

You would get safer land-based public access along San Diego Bay with features like a 200-foot bicycle and pedestrian bridge, Class 1 bikeway and a separate multi-use trail atop the living levees, and public access nodes (parklets) at 7th Street and 8th Street. These amenities aim to reduce hazards for pedestrians and cyclists that currently exist on the Bayshore Bikeway.

Temporary construction disruptions and environmental effects

Construction would cause short-term effects such as disturbance to listed and sensitive species, short-term loss of wetlands from dredge/fill, temporary increases in dust and air pollutants, construction noise and vibration, temporary adverse water quality during grading, and temporary changes to public access. There may also be potential effects on cultural resources during construction.

Alternatives change scale and benefits

The document describes four alternatives that change the size and scope of impacts: Alternative 2 (Ring Levee) would have a larger footprint with greater excavation and soil placement than the Proposed Action; Alternative 3 (Reduced Action) would include fewer features, no tidal restoration of Pond 10A, and only limited public-access improvements; Alternative 4 (No Action) would keep existing conditions. These alternatives change how much habitat restoration, flood protection, and construction impact would occur.

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Key Dates

Published Date
1/10/2025

Department and Agencies

Department
Independent Agency
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